That crazy cannabis carousel continues to spin as the C. Hag (as in Kali U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, who sees a working dispensary and has the irascible need to close it) sends out another letter. Berkeley Patients Group is the victim of being too close to where kids could possibly be.

This time is a double-whammy, the Center for Early Intervention on Deafness, which also houses a preschool, and Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley, a French bilingual grade school, are within the 1,000 feet no-no zone.

Berkeley Patients Group took over an old car dealership and with the wrought-iron fence and has a visible security patrolling, when I went there, it felt like an island. A huge building with very little foot traffic, very secure and seemingly alone in a converted strip-mall that many patients have pass it by thinking it was a church or some other municipal building.

U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag: "Marijuana dispensaries are full of cash and they're full of marijuana, and everybody knows that"

​"Marijuana dispensaries are full of cash and they're full of marijuana, and everybody knows that," U.S. Attorney Haag said in an interview. "They are at risk of being robbed, and many of them are robbed."

Except that since the Berkeley Patients Group opened in 1999, there hasn't been a robbery or any incidents of gunplay reported.

In fact, most of the data has suggested that in the areas that have dispensaries, crime goes down. Even maybe more importantly, the RAND Corporation (until they sold out) found that when a dispensary closes, reported crime actually goes up.

They should teach that in law school.

At press time, the Berkeley Patients Group is declining to comment. The word is they are looking for a new residence. Some 70 jobs are at stake, but it shouldn't be a problem for the well supported collective to find a new space, once the City of Berkley defines the parameters.

There are some legal discussions happening about how Berkeley measures how far away the school actually is. Does it go by "city blocks" or "how the crow flies?"

Earlier this week, nearby Oakland approved four new permits for dispensaries to open.

It is estimated that the four new pot shops will bring in about $1.7 million annually for Oakland.

Because the BPG is one of the oldest shops out there, and because in 2009, the Berkeley City Council proclaimed a special day to highlight the good work the dispensary has done... I'm assuming that the City of Berkeley is on BGP's side and so resettling will happen soon.

The dispensary still has the federal noose around them; they were hit with back taxes last year to the tune of $6.3 million. But because thousands and thousands of patients can't be wrong, I'm sure if the Berkeley Patients Group can find a "Home Sweet Zone", they'll be back.

Finally the marijuana capitalist giant falls. Cut throat business tactics killed the spirit of this once great asset to the community. Etienne Fontaine (the now owner), has systematically killed the compassion and leeched the benefits from employees and patients, not only for personal profit, but to make up for bad business practices and bad investments. Granted, staff there are amazing people, but a business is only as good as its crew AND captains, and unfortunately for the 70+ employees in this case, a mutiny might have saved this place. Funny statement to be released, shielding behind the 70 employees the owners and high level managers care nothing about, especially since they have more settled out of court for wrongful termination cases, employee rights violations, glbt rights violations, gender and racial discrimination than any other dispensary. Maybe had they had their wish and got corporate investing by big pharmie giants like Bayer, they might have had the money to pay their tax deficits, or maybe not spread their resources so thin by buying up 3 permits in maine. I hope all of those employees find a new home in places that truly care for their workers from honest entrepreneurs, if not become ones themselves. Good luck mmj workers growers and honest operators... in between a hard place like the dea and irs, and a floppy soft invertebrate like Etienne on the other.

Best choices...educate MH and get her to understand truth from those who actually know, and if she refuses to hear, close her down with a Calif bill similar to the great one started in Oregon, through court that is meant to hold truth mandatory as basis for rulings. She clearly has no idea and is full of prejudice from that.

The BPG is a stellar example of how a larger dispensary should operate. Even the school they are reportedly a threat against, is supportive of their neighbor. Where does it stop?

Once the Feds have gone through and close down dispensaries based on LOCAL ZONING ISSUES in every MMJ state, what will be next? Letters to the dispensaries that advertise? Or will it be the IRS' turn to squeeze out dispensaries through taxation? Force more banks to drop dispensary business? Oh wait....they are.

Seems like the Feds are straight up embargoing the industry like it is Iran.

The idea of being within a thousand feet of a school is crazy, how does this even matter? We need a map of bars, pharmacy's, smoke shops (cigs), and corner stores that sell porn and show them in a overlapping map how much a (kid) person already cross's into and they are not up in arms at that!

cool so we close all the rite aids , the wall-greens and all the other Pharmacies so the kids cant get to the Oxy's or other narcotics they may be able to get to , how about the gas stations and super markets , lets close all those down , kids get this on a regular basis ! FUCK HER !

The "1000 feet" is not the law, it's 600 feet and BPG was fine when they took the space. Plus the closest school from them is a huge fan as well giant beneficiary of their work. They do still have their work cut out for them however, they obviously haven't won over every donkey out there.

When you look at other dispensaries being shut down for being too close to schoolyards that don't even exist any longer (Shambhala), it's apparent that it does not matter. The legal game, lame as it is, is being played and needs to be played out. One can hope for the sake of the good business owners and California tax coffers, that this ends soon.